Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25

Thread: doctors bills/medical aid

  1. #1
    Suspended
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    2,346
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 254 Times in 209 Posts

    doctors bills/medical aid

    medical aid...or not...i have not had medical aid for about 10 years...but my wife insisted that i take out medical aid in case i have an accident at work or end up in hospital from a heart attack...so i got one...so i go to the dentist to have my teeth fix...no can do...the cost to repair my teeth is around R18000.00...so i cannot do it.

    i go to hospital because i get hit in the face and need stitches...but i have to pay because the medical aid savings is finished...i am still battling to understand why i took out medical aid...before i would go to the doc tell him i was not on medical aid...pay half the price or go to macords hospital pay R14 including my medicine.

    but this is what really blew my mind...i was working at one of the hospitals the other day and was watching the people waiting to go into theatre for operations...i was listening to one of the patients begging the annethatist to give him a better rate or should i say to do the work at medical aid rate...he made a comment which i didnt hear but what i did hear was the guy had to sell stuff to foot the balance of the bill which the medical aid would not cover...anyway i get home and tell my wife about it and she tells me it is normal and we will have to do the same thing when she goes in for the babies birth.

    i am sure the last thing you want to do when waiting like cattle for the slaughter outside the theatre is negotiate the rate they will be charging you...can i sue for a refund from the anethatist because the last operation i had i woke up on the operating table...they had to inject me 3 times to try calm me and get me back on the operating table...luckily my arm was strapped on because they had cut open my elbow to remove pieces of bone...i can clearly remember seeing the skin pulled over my elbow and the bones exposed...the nurse was saying you cannot give him anymore you will kill him...as they battled to hold me down...when i woke up from that operation i was in so much pain i had to be injected for pain for 2 days before the pain stopped and i was told i would never have the use of my right arm again ever...where are our rights as patients.

  2. #2
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12
    You've opened a mine of issues, Murdock.

    First, I reckon medical aids are commercial enterprises which trade for profit. If you put the money away (invest it), you'll be well ahead of the game - even after all "tax advantages" of going the medical aid route. The problem is we don't put our money away as we should.

    Next, the medical aids are raped silly in so many ways, rates on genuine claims being only one of them.

  3. #3
    Suspended
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    2,346
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 254 Times in 209 Posts
    my daughter got ill at 3 months old and to cut a long story short...the doctor almost killed her...i was advised by a nurse in ICU after 19 days and being told she only had a few days left so i should prepare myself...i decided to get a second opinion and a new doctor took over she was out of ICU in 3 days and is now 17 years old...i was sued for R79000.00 in doctors fees forced to pay as i did not have the finacial backing to take the doctor to court.

    the doctor would have killed my daughter and i wouldnt have known the wiser if i was not told by the nurse to get second opinion...and there would have been nothing i could do.

  4. #4
    Platinum Member Chatmaster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    1,065
    Thanks
    107
    Thanked 99 Times in 63 Posts
    I seriously believe the real problem here lies with the medical profession and greed. The hospitals and the doctors are largely to blame for the costs that are sky-rocketing. Seriously, paying a specialist more than R900 an appointment just doesn't make sense! Having to take your kids to the doctor 3 or 4 times for the same silly flu also doesn't make sense. Going to the dentist for 7 appointments to have 3 teeth fixed also doesn't make sense. The medical profession has become a major money spinner, a money factory that are being tapped to the bone. Hospitals are totally crazy with their prices not to mention the pharmaceutical companies! There is another problem, lack of "competition" caused by the doctors leaving the country. This creates a scenario that is easy to take advantage of.

    I personally have a hospital plan that is it, to pay over 4k for a medical aid that is kaput by June is crazy enough, so I just make provision in my budget for the greedy doctors appointments each month and do not touch it throughout the year even if it is unused.
    Roelof Vermeulen (Entrepreneurship in large organizations)
    Roelof Vermeulen| Rock flaps south africa

  5. Thanks given for this post:

    IanF (29-Jul-08)

  6. #5
    Email problem daveob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Amanzimtoti
    Posts
    655
    Thanks
    107
    Thanked 118 Times in 103 Posts
    and the doctors are all still PRACTICING -- on you.
    Watching the ships passing by.

  7. #6
    Moderator IanF's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Jhb
    Posts
    2,679
    Thanks
    197
    Thanked 529 Times in 405 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Chatmaster View Post
    I personally have a hospital plan that is it, to pay over 4k for a medical aid that is kaput by June is crazy enough, so I just make provision in my budget for the greedy doctors appointments each month and do not touch it throughout the year even if it is unused.
    Roelof
    I agree with and also have a hospital plan. After dealing incompetent claims clerks it is easier and less frustrating that way, plus you have disaster insurance.
    Only stress when you can change the outcome!

  8. #7
    Suspended
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    2,346
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 254 Times in 209 Posts
    this is why we are called patients...we had an appointment to a scan and to see the doctor...at 11.30 we arrive at 11.20...in for the scan by 11.30...11.40 we finished the scan and i must say the lady who did the scan was very helpfull and seemed to know what she was talking about...11.45 in the doctors room...12.15 we told to go have coffee down stairs the doctor will be unavailable until after 13.00...13.00 back in the waiting room 14.00 get to see the doctor 14.10 finished with the doctor...and paid R300 cash before we leave...not medical rate and the savings is depleted so we have to pay cash for the visit...the fella looking for some type of investment in the other thread sudy to become a doctor...60 divided by 10 minutes...thats 6 patients an hour x 300 =R1800 p/hr x 8 hrs=R14400.00 per day x 5 days =R72000.00 per week x 4.33 = R311760.00 per month....Flip i could pay my house off in 2 months...and that not including surgery i would hate to know what a surgeon earns a month to top it all you sign an imdemnity to say if they kill you or make a mistake they are not liable...and the thing that piss*s me off is they bitch when i change them R350.00 an hour to drive to their house in my vehicle at my cost petrol...maintenace... risk of being on the road...hijackings...climb around in the roof which is around 50 degrees in summer sweat my butt off...and them wait 3 months for payment...i should have become a doctor.

  9. #8
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12
    ...and all this before we touch on costs without proper cause - like people buying sunglasses and make-up at the pharmacist and putting it on the medical aid.

  10. #9
    Silver Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    JHB
    Posts
    271
    Thanks
    73
    Thanked 76 Times in 56 Posts

    Angry

    How about the "diagnose by numbers / my name is Earl (crossing of the list)" exercise I'm currently experiencing - have been in xtreme pain for last +-2 weeks - have now had every imaginable scan/scope/x-ray/blood/urine/whatever test under the sun performed and my doctor looks "pleasantly suprised" to say the least every time I return with yet another array of test results (negative I'll have you know!! so I suppose I need to be thankful for small mercies) but still the same complaint. A money-making gimmick or a not-so-clued-up doc????

  11. #10
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    2,642
    Thanks
    119
    Thanked 94 Times in 77 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by IanF View Post
    After dealing incompetent claims clerks it is easier and less frustrating that way, plus you have disaster insurance.
    I have also gone this route and put my "medical savings" into my bond each month (and keep track of it).

    The major problem that I have with medical aids is all the stuff that you would expect to be covered by your hospital plan, but isn't actually (depends on medical aid). For example, trips to the ER are not covered (with Discovery). If you don't get allocated a hospital bed then you have to pay everything out of your own pocket. Also, you often have to put down large deposits before they will even check you into hospital to cover all the extra expenses (above the medical aid rates).

    I often wonder if all the money that gets ploughed into private health care would be better invested in our public system.
    [SIGPIC]Engineer Simplicity[/SIGPIC]
    Turn ideas into products | The Art of Engineering blog

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •